Angelika Reitböck, President of the Austrian Association of General Practitioners, to which around 1,000 general practitioners in Austria belong, warns of the fatal consequences for health care in view of the approaching wave of pensions among general practitioners.
In the next ten years, more than half of Austrian panel doctors will retire. New general practitioners for the replacement would be missing. In recent years, many general practitioner training positions have been converted into specialist positions, also due to a temporary shortage of doctors in training. These would now be missing to train young people. “Substantially more training places must be created. We not only have to cover the loss due to retirements. Due to an aging population and more successful, but also more complex treatment methods, the overall need for medical care is increasing,” says Reitböck.
improve working conditions
In addition, around 40 percent of all medical students in Austria do not work as doctors in Austria after their studies. To change that, working conditions would have to be made even more attractive. “There have already been welcome developments, such as the family doctor emergency service in Upper Austria. Such measures would have to be rolled out nationwide,” says the association’s president.
There is also a need for modernization of the checkout system. For example, fee limits that allow general practitioners to earn less per patient from a certain number of patients treated are inimical to performance. “The doctors are punished for working more,” says Reitböck. In general, the fees would have to be raised and adjusted in the different federal states. A major reason for the shortage of family doctors is the greater attractiveness of working as a specialist thanks to more regulated working hours and better earnings.
In view of the strict requirements and specifications for panel doctors, many general practitioners would also decide to open a private practice. “We have to make the health insurance system an attractive option again for family doctors. Otherwise, health insurance physicians will continue to be a dying species,” says Reitböck. (vaba)
Source: Nachrichten
